Gate.



L. C. FOUTS.

GATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1915.

1,170,443. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

W rwess 5: C IN VE/V TOR.

THE COLUMBIA PLAl loGRAPi-x c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

LEWIS, C. FOUTS, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

Application filed April 14, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lnwrs C. Fours, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, inthe county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to farm gates, and has special reference to that class of gates adapted to be operated by occupants of a vehicle upon approaching the gate, and to be closed by the operator after having passed through the same.

My invention contemplates parts and relative arrangement of the same to effect an opening of the gate inwardly or outwardly at the will of the operator, and relates to a construction so devoid of complication as to render it cheap in the building and also possessing greater efliciency in use, and more durable than those heretofore marketed.

My invention consists in the arrangement, in conjunction with the well known pull devices extending to points at either side of a gate, of a member so associated with the gate structure and the latch device therefor, as to be turnable relative to said gate structure, while the gate is at rest, and without applying any opening leverage thereto while the latch operating devices are operated, and then, when the gate is released, the turning of the member engaging a part of the gate structure to transmit opening force.

My invention also relates to detail combinations hereinafter more particularly set out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my gate structure in an open position, and shows its relation to a post support and posts. at either side thereof, serving as supporting members for operative parts, and a stop for the gate in its opened positions; Fig. 2 is a top view in part showing operative connections; Fig. 3' is a detail or fragmentary view in elevation, with parts broken away to. show interior construction and arrangement of parts; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line ti e of Fig. 3.

I am aware that heretofore it has been a common practice to support a gate as a do sure for a fence opening in a relation to swing inwardly or outwardly at will, and that pulley connections with turnable gate members have been employed to serve to operate the gate from either side for opening or closing. I am also aware that the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. I, 1916.

Serial no. 21,276.

prior art discloses means in conjunction with structures. of the class just defined in which extensions from the pull members are pro vided for connection with a latch member for operating the latter in either the closed or open positions. It may be said that there are two classes of such devices, one being those in which a member having a permanent connection with a gate and the pull members have connection with the latch whereby the turning of the gate member would effect a release of the latch. Then there is the class in which sheave connections are made with a gate member and pull members provided to turn said sheaves, and then a direct connection is established from the sheaves with a latch member, whereby the turning of the sheaves will release the latch.

The difficulty attending the operation of devices thus specified and classified is that the gate is moved simultaneously with the operation of the latch member, hence only a slight seating of the latch is possible and therefore its fixed connection is very insecure.

My plan to obviate the difliculty specified is to establish such a connection from the pull members and the gate that the latch will be entirely released before any pressure is applied to the gate to swing it. This plan. will allow secure relative seating of the latch parts and will wholly relieve the latter of the friction of the latch engaging members, as in the instance above specified, that is, where the gate is being moved while the latch is being released. By the means I employ, the gate remains stationary and under no lateral pressure, while the unlatching is being effected, and thereafter pressure is ap plied to swing the gate.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is a post member of a fence there being a similar post member at the opposite side of the opening in the fence, carrying one of the latch n1embers. The first named post 2 is provided with perforated bracket members 3 and 3 extending in a direction in line with the post members of the fence.

4i and 5 are posts located at either side of the gate opening, each being provided with a latch member 6.

7' is a shaft carried in sleeve member 8, which forms the rear framing for the gate.

9 forms the main extended framework of the gate and may be formed of a U-shaped tube or bar, the same being provided with members 10 formed to embrace sleeve member 8 and to be fixedly secured thereto.

11 are vertically disposed frame parts adapted to connect the upper and lower reaches of the main framing 9.

12 is a diagonally disposed frame part adapted as a brace to prevent the gate from sagging.

I have shown bracket 3 embracing the upper portion of sleeve member 8 and bracket 3 receiving the lower end of shaft 7, th1s connection serving as a support for the gate. However, I may provide other connections and means for supporting the gate than those herein shown.

13 and 14 are sheaves having a fixed connection with shaft 7, said sheaves being held between fixed collar 15 on shaft 7 and the nut 16. However, any other suitable means for connecting the sheaves with shaft 7 may be employed, if desired. The abutment of flange 15 with the upper end of tube or sleeve member 8 serves to define the relative position of said shaft 7 with the said sleeve member. To each of the sheave members 13 and 14: are connected a pair of pull mem bers 17 and 18, as ropes or other equivalently efiicient substitute, each pair connected with its respective sheave as at 19, as shown in Fig. 2. The position in this figure is with relation to the gate in its open position.

Pull members 17 and 18 connect with sheave members 20 and 21, the latter being ing supported in a turnable relation upon bracket arm 22, connected with post a, as

shown in Fig. 2, there being a similar arrangement of parts relative to a post and to pull members 17 and 18, on the opposite side of post 2. Hand holds as 23 are provided in connection with each of the pull members, the same having sufiicient weight to hold the pull members normally taut.

By the connections above described, the operator approaching the gate may, at his pleasure, by operating either pull member 17 or 18, according as he may wish, swing the gate in one direction or the other. In practice, the operator usually swings the gate frame by operating one of the pull members on one side, and after passing through the gate, operates a correspondingly oppositely acting pull member to close the gate. However, he may as well swing the gate in either direction from either side.

I have provided a latch 21 merely as an example of one form of such latch, but other forms may be employed at discretion. This particular latch member is fixed to the framing of the gate and is disposed in an inclined relation to the forward framing part of the gate, and from thence an extension 24 is carried through openings in frame parts to a position somewhat in advance of the sleeve member 8. To operate the latch member, I have provided laterally extending arms 25 having a fixed connection with shaft 7 and occupying a position normally at right angles to the gate body. Arms 25 extend laterally through openings or slotted ways 26 in the sleeve member 8, this connection providing for the turning of shaft 7 independently of the rear gate tubular framing member 8. Chains 27 or other equivalently efiicient flexible members are provided connecting the outer ends of each of the arms 25 with an eye-member 28 on the inner end of latch bar member 2% By means of the connection just above specified between shaft 7, tubular sleeve member 8 and the latch member 26?, it will be seen that aturning of shaft 7 by manipulation of pull members, the arms 25 will be turned and in accordance with the direction of its turning, one of chain members 27 will be drawn rearwardly, carrying with it latch bar 2 1 and the latch 24, thus effecting a release of the latch, the arms 25 in such movement traveling in slots 26. The lengths of slots 26 are proportioned with relation to the extent of movement necessary to release the latch so that immediately following the release of the latch, the arms will engage the ends of the slots so thatdraft upon the pull members will be transmitted through shaft 7 and arms 25 to the sleeve member 8, whereby under such pull, the gate will be swung laterally to either side, as desired, to a latched position in connection with either of posts 1 or 5.

In order that the arms 25 may be brought to the normal central position with relation to the slots in sleeve member 8, when the pull members are released, the spring tension of latch member 24 is purposely made such to effect this result so that whenever it is desired to manipulate the gate from its closed, or either of its open positions, there will always be a clearance for the movement of arms 25 with relation to slots 26 in post member 8 to effect the unlatching before force is applied to the gate to swing it.

I have shown herein my preferred em bodiment of the invention. However, its parts may be differently arranged or proportioned, or is fact, may be modified in many respects, and I wish to include herein all forms of embodiment that lie legitimately within the principle thereof.

What I claim is:

In combination, a gate adapted to open from either side the rear stile of which is.

formed of a tubular or sleeve member extending above the top rail and having a limiting through slot on each side between its ends, a shaft extending through the sleeve member and rotatable therein, its ends projecting beyond the ends of said member, an upper hinge bracket through which the extended portion of the sleeve member passes and in Which it turns, a lower hinge bracket upon Which the tubular member is supported and in which the shaft turns, a spring latch on the front of the gate, a connecting rod extending rearwardly from said latch, two arms fixed on said shaft and projecting horizontally in opposite directions through slots in the sleeve, a flexible connection from each of said arms to the rear end of the connecting rod, a pair of sheaves fixed on the upper end of the shaft, a flexible pull connection attached to each of said sheaves and passed around the same in 0pposite directions, their ends extending to suitable distant points at opposite sides of the gate, pulleys at said points over which the connections pass, and Weighted handles attached to the terminal of each connection which when pulled, first turns the shaft and arms thereon to release the latch after Which said arms having reached the limits of the slots in the tubular rear stile positively swing the gate into open or closed position. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEWIS C. FOUTS. Witnesses:

MARY E. CoMnoYs, H. V. GIBSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

